WEBVTT
ENTITY.
POLICE SAY THESE SURVEILLANCE
IMAGES SHOW THE COWARDLY CRIME,
WHERE 19-YEAR-OLD CHRISTOPHE
STRAHAM STABBED TO DEATH A
73-YEAR-OLD HUNGARIAN MAN WH
WAS HOMELESS.
IT HAPPENED LAST FRIDAY
AFTERNOON AT THE BUSY
INTERSECTION OF PULASKI HIGHWAY
AND HIGHLAND AVENUE IN SOUTHEAST
BALTIMORE.
STRAHAM, WHO BECAME BALTIMORE'S
PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE, WAS ON
THE RUN UNTIL WEDNESDAY NIGHT,
WHEN POLICE FINALLY ARRESTED
HIM.
>> THAT WAS A SIGH OF RELIEF,
BECAUSE I THINK OF THE DAMAGE
DID.
THE HARM HE'S INFLICTED ON NOT
ONLY THE 73-YEAR-OLD VICTIM, BUT
THAT ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
LOWELL: POLICE SAY A CONCERNED
CITIZEN CALLED THEM, WHICH LED
TO THE ARREST.
>> IF NOT FOR THAT TIP, AND HE
WASN'T FOUND FAR FROM WHERE HE
COMMITTED THIS MURDER, BUT IF
NOT FOR THAT TIP WE MAY HAVE
BEEN SEARCHING FOR HIM EVEN
LONGER.
LOWELL: ONCE ARRESTED, POLICE
NOTICED SOMETHING INTERESTING
ABOUT STRAHAM'S APPEARANCE.
YOU CAN SEE IN HIS OLD MUGSHOT,
TATTOOS ON HIS FACE OF BOTH HIS
INITIALS AND A HEART.
WHEN HE WAS CAPTURED THE HEART
WAS GONE, LEADING POLICE TO
BELIEVE HE HAD BEEN TRYING T
CONCEAL HIS IDENTITY.
>> I DON'T KNOW HOW HE REMOVED
IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS
PERMANENTLY REMOVED OR IF HE
APPLIED SOME TYPE OF DIMINISHING
MAKEUP, BUT HE HAD ALREADY
REMOVED THE HEART TATTOO ON HIS
FACE, AND HE WAS FROM WHAT I'
BEING TOLD, IN THE PROCESS OF
TRYING TO REMOVE HIS INITIAL
UNDER HIS FACE.
LOWELL: AT THE TIME OF THE
CRIME, STRAHAM GOT LESS THAN
$100 OFF THE VICTIM, AND
INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE HE ACTED
ALONE.
STRAHAM IS FACING A LAUNDRY LIST
OF CHARGES, INCLUDING FIRST AND
SECOND DEGREE MURDER AND
ASSAULT.
WITHOUT BOND

City police said patrol officers arrested Christopher Straham, 19, late Wednesday night. The arrest came tips from the community helped investigators to find Straham, who was found in the area of the 3100 block of Orleans Street.

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When police finally arrested him, Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said, "That was a sigh of relief because I think of the damage he did, the harm he's inflicted on not only the 73-year-old victim, but that entire community."

Police said a concerned citizen called them, which led to the arrest.

"If not for that tip, and he wasn't found far from where he committed this murder, but if not for that tip, we may have been searching for him even longer," Davis said.

Police said Straham attacked the man. Surveillance cameras from a business caught the stabbing and the man tried to fight off his attacker. The victim died a short time later.

Straham got away with the cash, which turned out to be less than $100, police said. The victim walked with a cane, and police believe he was homeless.

Police said Straham has been charged with first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, armed robbery, robbery, theft and possession of a deadly weapon with the intent to injure. Police said the victim is from Hungary and they are still in the process of notifying his family.

Police said Straham was also in the process of trying to remove identifying tattoos from his face, including one of his initials.

"I don't know how he removed it. I don't know if it was permanently removed, or if he applied some type of diminishing makeup, but he had already removed the heart tattoo on his face, and he was, from what I'm being told, in the process of trying to remove his initials under his face," Davis said.

At the time of the crime, Straham got less than $100 off the victim, and investigators believe he acted alone.

Straham also has a violent arrest record. In the summer, he was arrested on suspicion of assault and carrying switchblades. By September, the charges were dismissed and he was released.

"In the previous case that was dismissed, the victims and witnesses in this case did not appear in court on the trial date," the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office said in a statement. "Victims and witnesses are often times very crucial to our prosecution strategy, and we understand the risks witnesses and victims of crime face when testifying against violent criminals.

"The current Public Enemy No. 1 case reinforces the grave need for the $2.4 million Victim of Crime Act grant we recently received which will assist us in expanding the services and resources we provide to victims and witnesses of crime.”